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RE: Precision



> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Tim Williams
>
> As an addendum to Mike's response (which was right on the money), one extra 
> caveat is that such estimates are based on individual specimens.  Therefore, 
> when we say...
> 
> "Brachiosaurus had an estimated body length of X m and an estimated  mass of 
> Y tonnes"
> 
> what we are really saying is ...
> 
> "The largest *known* specimen of Brachiosaurus had an estimated body length 
> of X m and an estimated mass of Y tonnes".
> 

To say this another way:

Size is a property of individuals, not taxa.
"Average size" is a property of populations.
"Maxmimum recovered body size" is a property of populations subject to a LOT of 
taphonomic filters.

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
        Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742  
     
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796